Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appeared puzzled when asked about a request from Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter that he bury the hatchet with the jailed opposition leader first before hoping for a political alliance with PKR.

Mahathir, who seemed tired, only replied that he had no knowledge of Anwar’s second daughter Nurul Nuha asking him to apologise to her father for all that happened from their falling out in 1998.

“No idea,” he said simply to questions about the matter, when met by reporters after opening the Islamic Welfare Association of Malaysia (Perkim) AGM in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Yesterday, Malay Mail Online reported Nurul Nuha’s assertion that a full apology from Mahathir for all his alleged transgressions against her father is needed before things can progress further between the ex-PM’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and PKR.

Nurul Nuha said Mahathir must be held responsible for the allegations of abuse of power and Sodomy I against Anwar in 1998.

At the same event, Mahathir said that it is still too early to say how the tally of Bersatu’s membership stands for the moment.

However, he did note that the public's support and acceptance for Bersatu has been encouraging thus far.

“Even the membership forms, we cannot distribute a lot of it yet. So it is too early to count our members.

“As for public acceptance, wherever I go, all support Bersatu,” he said.

After its registration was accepted by the Registrar of Societies on Sept 8, Bersatu started to issue membership forms to the public yesterday.

Mahathir was among the first members to register as a lifetime member with a membership fee of RM100.

Bersatu also snagged its first non-bumiputera associate member.